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A/n: Here's the next chapter, please read and review









Chapter 24: The wall is breached! Saruman's explosive surprise







As the Ent Moot progressed further into the night, the ever impatient trio of Misao, Merry, and Pippin continued to wait with growing irritation, seeing the Ents sway around, continuing to deliberate to each other, in their native language, whether they will fight or not.

Misao sat down and was concentrating while throwing pebbles in the way that she threw her kunais. Merry came towards Misao and squatted down beside her.



"Do you have any idea how long it's going to take, Misao?" asked Merry.

"How should I know, Merry?" Misao replied in agitation, while continuing to toss her pebbles, "it took them the whole day just to say hello and whatnot to each other."

"I know," Merry said restlessly, "...I just hope that they'll decide to fight."

"Me too," Misao agreed.

"Oh, by the way, Misao... did I ever tell you that you throw very good?" Merry said, complementing Misao, making her smile sheepishly in return, "...well, you do... especially with those pebbles. I reckon it's how you're good at throwing your little daggers."

"Yep," answered Misao, thankfully, "I always practice my skills once in a while. Would you like to learn how I do it?"

Merry thought for a moment before answering, "...sure, why not? I'd give for the chance to know how to throw like you do Misao."





The Ents deliberated still, then suddenly... Treebeard nodded and turned slowly to the Hobbits and Misao.

"Merry, Misao," Pippin gestured to them.



Merry and Misao stood up to await Treebeard's answer to the combined growing threats of Sauron and Saruman...



"We have just agreed... " Treebeard announced as he bowed... then went still as an ordinary tree on a windless day...



Merry, Misao and Pippin brightened for a few moments... but then went impatient to hearing Treebeard's answer...





...Merry angled his head in query as he asked," ...yes?"



Treebeard shook himself and continued, "I have told your names to the Ent Moot and... we... have agreed... "



The trio waited for what Treebeard and the Ents agreed to...





"...You are not Orcs," Treebeard concluded with a smile. Just then...





Misao crashed heavily onto the ground, surprising everybody, including the Ents.

"W-we," stuttered Misao in disappointment, "...we told you that already."

"Well," Pippin said, obviously hoping for something more, "that's good news."

But it wasn't good news for Merry though. "And what about Saruman?" he asked impatiently, "have you come to a decision about /him/?"

"Yeah!" Misao cut in as she sat up abruptly, "forget about us, its Saruman's who you should really be discussing about!"

"Now, now," Treebeard said, waving a hand, trying to calm them, "don't be hasty my friends."

"Hasty?!" Merry cried in exasperation, as he took a few steps forward, "our friends are out there. They need our help. They cannot fight this war on their own!"

"Merry's right," Misao agreed again with her companion, "our friends will need all the help they can get. There may be a chance that they'll die in this stupid war!"

"War, yes," said Treebeard, understanding Merry and Misao's disposition, "...it affects us all; tree, root and twig. But you two must understand my young friends. It takes a loong time to say anything in ooold... Entish."



Misao and the Hobbits rolled their eyes in disgruntlement. Clearly, they didn't want excuses from Treebeard... only immediate action.



"...And we never say anything... unless it is worth taking a looong... time to say," finished Treebeard.









Back at the battle of Helm's Deep, the valiant warriors, fighting to protect the people of Rohan, continue to fare very well against the Uruk-Hai. Despite the Uruk's efforts to get over the wall, they were being cut down by the Elves, with the help of Aoshi, Saito, and Sanosuke.

Sanosuke, known for his stamina, was able to continue his fist assault with the Uruks. He knocked them down, one by one. Aoshi used some of his Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren attacks on the Uruk-Hai and when any Uruk came at Aoshi... he seemed to disappear and then... reappear behind the Uruks and cut them down.



Saito and Gimli continued their competition since Legolas seemed to have dropped out. Saito was still in the lead, while Gimli just about caught up with Legolas' first leading score. Gimli is standing on the wall between two ladders, hacking away at Uruk-hai as they come up...



"...Seventeen," Gimli declared, as he hacked each Uruk, "Eighteen! Nineteen!"

Saito cuts in again, "wonderful, but I'm still in the lead... 35! 36! 37...!" Saito declared as he slew each of the Uruks with his sword...

"Twenty!" Gimli went on, continuing to count each Uruk he slew, "Twenty one... Twenty two... "

Saito continued to count the Uruks he killed as well, "... 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, I'm still in the lead!"

"I'll catch up to you yet, Saito!" Gimli cried his promise to Saito, "agh! Twenty-three..."





While Saito and Gimli continued their competition... a battalion of Uruk-Hai started to advance up the causeway towards the gate in tortoise formation, using their broad shields to block off attacks, from above the gate. Aragorn then looked in their direction and immediately directed some of the Elf archers to aim at the Uruk-hai column.

"Causeway! Na fennas!" Aragorn cried his command, "causeway! Hado ribed! Hado!"



The archers on the wall shot, arrow after arrow, into the group. The Uruk-hai at the sides that were shot, fell down the causeway. But the column kept advancing...



'These creepies,' thought Sanosuke, with cockiness, 'are easy. What did Saruman think he was going to do...bore me to death? They don't even challenge me.'

'So easy,' thought Aoshi, while killing more Uruk-Hai, '...yet... too easy. I have the feeling... that Saruman has one last trick up his sleeve.'



Théoden continued to observe the battle and looked with great pleasure that none of the Uruks were able to breach the fortress.

"Is this it?" said the king in a triumphant, yet cocky manner, "...is this all you can conjure Saruman?"







But it seemed that Théoden wouldn't enjoy his triumph for much longer... for Saruman had one more ace in the hole...





A small band of the Uruk-Hai went to the drain at the base of the Deeping wall and put into place... two of Saruman's metallic vessels into the drain, placing one on top of the other. After placing the devices, the rest opened up a path...





...And an Uruk-hai carrying a torch started to run towards the drain. The Uruks were cheering their comrade on...





Sanosuke was the first to spot the torch-carrying Uruk and saw where it was heading to... the drain. He gasped as something inside told him this Uruk-hai must not reach the wall...





Sanosuke called out, "hey, Aragorn!" Aragorn responded to Sanosuke's call.

"Look down there!" Sanosuke cried, "it doesn't look good!"

Aragorn spots the Uruk as well and had the same feeling as Sanosuke that the torch-carrying Uruk must be stopped.

"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled

"Aoshi! Saito!" Sanosuke called out, as he pointed at the Uruk that was carrying the torch to the drain, "down there! We gotta stop that creep before he reaches the wall!"

Saito and Aoshi gasped, as they didn't like what the Uruk intended, knowing that Sanosuke was right, the Uruk had to be stopped.

"Togo hon dad, Legolas! (/Bring him down, Legolas!/)" Aragorn yelled frantically.



Legolas immediately aimed over the wall and shot the Uruk-hai in the shoulder but the latter kept going on towards the culvert. Aoshi took his bow and shot some arrows into the Uruk as well, but it still kept going...



Saito launched an assault by throwing one of the Berserker Uruks' swords in a Gatotsu-like throw, using it like a spear. He was able to hit the Uruk's back, but was unable to faze him as well...



"Dago hon! Dago hon! (/Kill him! Kill him!/)" Aragorn kept yelling for Legolas to stop the Uruk from running towards the drain...



Feeling he has no other options... Aoshi brought his two kodachis together, and launched them at the Uruk...



"Onmyou Hasshi!" Aoshi cried out...



Aoshi's Kodachis hit the Uruk in the stomach and chest, but it didn't stop the Uruk either. Legolas kept shooting his arrows...



With a last vestige of strength... Sanosuke grabbed one of the dead Uruks and hurled it towards the Uruk, which caused the injured torch-carrying Uruk to stumble and fall... but it was able to reach the drain...





Everyone gasped....







KAAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!!







The drain exploded! The explosion took out a large portion of the Deeping Wall, which immediately caught Théoden's attention as he and his men looked at the exploding wall from the top of the battlements, sending rock, debris, and bodies flying through the air...





The explosion was even heard from inside the Glittering caves, that made the women and children gasp with fright. Éowyn tightened her grip on the sword she had, constantly on alert for any Uruk that may breach the fortress and reach the caves...





The force of the explosion also threw back Aragorn, Sanosuke, Aoshi, and Saito. Aragorn landed on the ground, knocked out. Sanosuke was also on the ground with Aragorn, but landed a few paces away from him.



"Man," Sanosuke said to himself, a little shaken, while laid on the ground from the explosion, "looks like... this isn't going to be easy... as I thought it would be."

Saito and Aoshi, however, were still on the destroyed wall, as they both recovered from the explosion.

"This doesn't look good Saito," Aoshi said to his colleague, "it seems that Saruman wasn't completely out of tricks."

"Indeed," Saito replied darkly, panting a little, "...we've underestimated him. Saruman managed to prepare a very explosive surprise for us."





And it seemed that Théoden got the message clear as well as he stared on in shock, gaping at the explosion that just took place at the Deeping wall. A group of Uruk-hai began streaming in past the Deeping Walls...



Then...



A rupture slowly plowed through the Uruk-Hai at the causeway as they threw off their shields... and revealed a battering ram, which they immediately started ramming into the gate.

"Brace the Gate!" Theoden yelled...



His soldiers rushed to brace the gates with their bodies. The next time the battering ram smashed into the gate... the wood groaned and the soldiers were bounced off, but they quickly braced themselves against the gate once more. The soldiers and children assisted their fellow soldiers at the battlements above the gate, as they threw their spears and small rocks, trying to fend off the Uruk-Hai that continued to batter down the gate.



"Hold them!" Théoden ordered encouragingly, "stand firm!"







At the breached Deeping wall as the Uruks endlessly streamed through, Aragorn slowly recovered as he lifted his head and got to his feet. Sanosuke followed suit soon after, ready to take on more Uruks. Gimli immediately saw the Uruk-hai charging in with Aragorn in their path.

"Aragorn, arg!" Gimli cried out as he jumped down from the wall... and landed on the Uruk-hai army, narrowly avoiding the spears that they held in the air.

"Gimli!" Aragorn and Sanosuke cried out in unison.



Gimli stood up and began to fend off the Uruk-Hai with his axe.



"Hado i philinn (/Hurl the arrows!/)!" Aragorn commanded to the Elves that were behind him.

The arrows launched by the Elves take out the first group of Uruk-hai that came through the hole in the wall. Sanosuke quickly ducked his head, avoiding being hit by the arrows.

"Herio! (/Charge!/)," Aragorn ordered...





And he... Sanosuke... and the Elves charged toward the incoming Uruk army, as they charged towards them, with their spears bearing in front, pointing out at the Elves. Aragorn parried the spears with his sword, and Sanosuke grabbed onto one of the spears and used all his strength... to hurl it, along with the Uruk, in the air, and smashed him into the ground. However, many of the Elves unwittingly ran into the spears, killing themselves instantly.



Saito jumped down with a downward Gatotsu attack at the streaming Uruk-Hai army, from which he continued his assault from there. Legolas, up on the wall, quickly grabbed a discarded shield and running to the stairs he dropped and slid the shield on the ground and jumped on...



And used the shield to slide down the stairs, while standing and shooting arrow after arrow... into the incoming horde. When he reached the bottom of the stairs...



He kicked up the shield, letting it stab into one of the Uruks. The shield penetrated the creature's armor and it doubled over and fell. Legolas then used an arrow to stab another Uruk in the neck.

Aoshi jumped high in the air... and launched arrows at the Uruks below. When he landed softly on the ground... he shot two more arrows at the Uruks and then grabbed his Kodachis from the ground... to slice more of the Uruks.

Now that the wall was breached, the valiant warriors of men and elves faced two dilemmas...



The Uruks that were trying to break through the gate... and the Uruks that were coming through the wall that they destroyed.









Back at the Ent Moot, Treebeard and the Ents discussed again about Saruman. After finishing their deliberations...

Treebeard finally returned to the hobbits and Misao a second time, they quickly stood-up from where they had been lounging, to meet him. But... they may not like what Treebeard was about to tell them...





"...The Ents cannot hold back this storm," Treebeard announced.

Misao, full of reproach, returned, "wh... what do you mean, you can't hold this back! What's the excuse now?"

"No excuses, Lady Misao," Treebeard answered fervently, "we must weather such things as we have always done."

But Misao wasn't satisfied at all as she fumed under her breath.



"How can that be your decision?" Merry asked angrily in Misao's defense.

"This is not our war," Treebeard explained.

"But you're part of this world!" Merry shouted in frustration, "...aren't you?"



In response... the Ents gazed at one another, taken back by Merry's exasperation...



"Well," added Misao, "...are you just going to stand around confused, acting like a bunch of knuckleheads?"

The Ents went speechless. They didn't know whether to be taken back even further... or be insulted.

Misao went on angrily, "can't you see that Merry's right?! Isn't this also your world... as much as everyone else who lives here? You're all in danger whether you want to fight or not. That's why my friends and I are here because our world is also in danger from Saruman and Sauron, even though we have absolutely nothing to do with what's going on in this world."

"Misao has a point," Merry said in agreement to Misao, pleading, "you must help, please! You must do something."

"...Come on!" Misao pleaded also.

"Master Merry," Treebeard said reasonably, "...Lady Misao... you two are both young and brave. But your parts in this tale are over. Go back to your homes."



Misao still was so exasperated with the Ents, that it looked like she was ready to throw her Kunais at them, or worse, one of her tantrums... but Merry quickly stopped her by grabbing her arm.



"No Misao," Merry said quietly, "they've made up their minds."



Misao looked down at Merry with her exasperated expression. Merry, in turn, looked at her that way. After a few moments...

Misao relaxed her arm and slowly walked away from the Ents, into the forest and stood up against a tree... and lightly pounded her fist on it. Merry looked with sympathy to Misao's dismay.








Merry joined Misao as he put his jacket on, preparing to leave. Misao sat down by the tree, still unwilling to accept the Ents' decision.

Pippin came to his friends and quietly said to them, "Merry, Misao... maybe Treebeard's right. We don't belong here. It's too big for us. What can we do in the end? We've got the Shire, Merry... and you Misao... you have your home... your world. Maybe we all should go home."

"...Pippin," Misao responded quietly, "...you're still acting like a knucklehead. Do you actually think... that you'll still have a home... if Sauron and Saruman win?"

"For what its worth," Merry added, "I agree with Misao, Pippin."



Pippin was shocked to hear that Merry agreed with Misao's dismay.



Merry went on, staring out into the distance, "the fires of Isengard will spread. And the woods of Tuckborough and Buckland will burn. And... "

Merry turned to Pippin, continuing his sorrowful explanation, "...and all that was once green and good in this world will be gone."



Pippin froze in his standing, unable to find anything to say after hearing Merry's gloomy remarks about the future of the Shire, as well as for Middle-Earth.



He put a hand on Pippin's shoulder, ending sadly, "...there won't be a Shire, Pippin."



Then Merry walked away.



"Merry's right, you know," Misao said, as she stood up, adding her grave statements, "there won't be anything left of your home when Saruman and Sauron are finished. And when they're through with your home... they'll be after my world and enslave it to their will also... so don't you dare say what we can or can't do. And I don't care how big a situation is... because I want to do everything I can... to protect the people that I love and care for... "

Misao then began to walk away from Pippin also, finishing in contempt, "...wouldn't you do the same, Pippin?"



Pippin felt very sorry for Misao as she went off into the woods, leaving the Hobbit to think very deeply about what she and Merry have said to him.









* Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings and RK are not mine. They belong to their authors, respectively J.R.R. Tolkien and Watsuki Nobuhiro. This fanfiction is created just for fun, not for any commercial purposes.